menendez: mr. president, i know the hour is late, but we have nearly 30 highly qualified foreign affairs and development nominees who are languishing on the senate floor. we have to confirm these nominees to fully equip the united states to pursue our foreign policy objectives, and i will be asking unanimous consent to confirm each one. my distinguished colleague from connecticut, senator murphy, a member of the committee, is here to join with me in this effort. i know the presiding officer is also a distinguished member of the committee. in the nearly 30 years that i have been working on foreign policy, we have never faced such a confluence of global challenges, a once in a century global pandemic, climate change threatening stability, health and safety across the world, fueling displacement and resource-driven conflicts, great power competition from an increasingly emboldened china and russia. we have the tools to confront these challenges, to promote american values and interests around the worl

chair brown: senator menendez from new jersey is recognized. senator menendez: thank you, mr. chair. i think everyone on the committee can agree we need to put an end to the short term reauthorization extensions of the nfip and finally pass a long term reauthorization of the program. in my mind, any nfip authorization bill needs to keep premiums affordable, invest in robust litigation and exclaim process that has left so many new jerseyans out of their homes for years after hurricane sandy. i also think we need to deal with the nfip debt so we can put the program on sound financial footing and invest into building resiliently so communities are prepared for the climate challenges of the 21st century. last congress, i introduced a bipartisan react that addresses these problems. i'm hopeful we can come together. i look forward to working to get a long term reauthorization done, but unfortunately, what i've heard from some of the witnesses today concerns me and runs counter intuitive to the whole purpose of the nfip. the great solution, as some say, to the problems is to raise pr

menendez is vaccinated and credits the vaccine for saving his life. >> had i not been vaccinated i'd an icu or i may want even be here. the point of this is that we need to protect everyone who cap can't protect themselves. >> joining me is texas state senator jose menendez. this started, as i understand it, with your 14 month old granddaughter and then it just blew through your family, you hit the hardest. when i was listening to your story, i was thinking we've all learned so much about covid. but did it surprise you what it was actually like when it hit you? >> first of all,i ithank you fo bringing attention to this issue. yes, i was quite surprised. i've been an athlete my whole life. i've always worked out. initially i had never really felt a fear because of everything we had heard about covid and how it worked. but on thursday morning, my first exposure with my granddaughter was friday, august 6th. i was told, don't even go get tested for three to four days. on thursday morning my chest felt like there was a 900 pound f gorilla sitting on it. it was hard to breathe. i've never

in the newsroom, lian menendez, abc 7 news. >> thank you. if you want to get tested for covid-19, we have a link to verified covid sites on our website. you can find that on abc7news.com/vaccine. >> students return to classrooms today. parents dropped off their young ones at the mary farmer elementary school. masks are mandatory and officials are taking precautions to keep everyone safe from covid-19. the district is offering vaccinations for students 12 and older, though vaccinations are not mandatory for students. last will have windows open, lunch periods will be spent outdoors. >> new developments in the santa clara county sheriff's battle to keep her job, a day after san jose mayor sam liccardo danette -- demanded she resign, laurie smith called a news conference. she did not just let issue Ñ i team dan noyes asked her about it. reporter: santa clara county sheriff had her command staff stand behind her for this news conference, one day after san jose mayor called on her to resign. >> time for concern is long past. sheriff smith must re

that's why senator menendez and i came down to the floor to try to unlock some of these nominees towards confirmation, because it is the tactic, not the disagreement, that is the exception. mr. president, i would ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations en bloc -- calendars 268, 321, 189, 247, 267, 270, 344, 301, 295, 296, 297, 298, 299, that the is not vote on the nominations en bloc without intervening action or debate, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, that any statements related to the nominations be printed in the record, that the president be immediately notified of the senate's action, and the senate resume legislative session. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection, the question concerns nominations en bloc. all those in favor say aye. all opposed no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the nominations are confirmed. mr. murphy: mr. president, i would ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the consideratio

senator menendez from new jersey, senator reed from rhode island continue to be leaders in fighting for a fair share of funds for transit. senator tester from montana, senator warner from virginia played a key role in ensuring the committee's transit title move forward in the bipartisan negotiations. our committee, the banking, housing committee owe them special thanks. senator warner and senator van hollen from maryland fought to reauthorize funds for ohio -- for america's subway, the washington, d.c. metro system serving millions in this region. and senator van hollen's legislation to improve agency safety plans and give workers stronger voice in safety matters as a big victory for labor. the chair of the labor committee just walked in and her work on these issues, in this case bus safety but safety of workers overall is so very important. we know that bus drivers are often a special target and protecting them is essential. senators warnock and ossoff, our newest mechanics on the committee from georgia helped us fight for better rapid transit. something that metro atlanta cries out fo

my colleague alicia menendez picks it up. >>> hello, i'm alicia menendez. joe biden's build back better initiative close to crossing the finish line. right now the senate is spending a second weekend hammering out final touches on a bipartisan infrastructure deal. today the senate voted 67-27 to invoke cloture which essentially ends debate on the massive bill and paves the way for final consideration. but the timing of

i'm alicia menendez on this friday, august 20th.ll start with the news. >>> facing intense criticism over the exit from afghanistan, president biden will deliver remarks on the evacuation efforts. as of yesterday afternoon the u.s. had evacuated thousands of americans since saturday when the government began to collapse. nbc news correspondent kelly o'donnell has the latest. >> reporter: u.s. officials say another 6,000 people made it safely to the kabul airport awaiting evacuation. pressed repeatedly, officials at the departments of state and defense could not say how many americans still need to be rescued. >> i don't know with that level of detail. >> we're just not in a position to give a number right now. >> reporter: in an interview with abc, the president defended the evacuation mission despite chaos near the airport. >> well, there s but, look. no one's being killed right now. god forgive me if i'm wrong about that. but no one's being killed right now. >> reporter: among the most vulnerable, afghan women and girls, fearful o

alicia menendez.ooearly. tooearly e the less they'll miss. but even if your teen was vaccinated against meningitis in the past they may be missing vaccination for meningitis b. although uncommon, up to 1 in 5 survivors of meningitis will have long term consequences. now as you're thinking about all the vaccines your teen might need make sure you ask your doctor if your teen is missing meningitis b vaccination. if you're 55 and up, t- mobile has plans built just for you. switch today and get 2 lines of unlimited and 2 free smartphones. plus you'll now get netflix on us. all this for up to 50% off vs. verizon. it's all included. 2 lines of unlimited for only $70 bucks. and this rate is fixed. you'll pay exactly $70 bucks total. this month and every month. only at t-mobile. as your business changes, the united states postal service is changing with it. with e-commerce that runs at the speed of now. next day and two-day shipping nationwide, and returns right from the doorstep. it's a whole new world out t

international community, but also a very well versed individual on capitol hill, the senator bob menendez, who is very, very up to speed on the comings and goings that are occurring in the chair of the for relations committee. so all of these considerations being weighted is the congress that conduct oversight on the executive branch. we do know that there were 2 members of congress that traveled against the wishes of the house speaker. now people to get us down in the last 24 hours. they said because they were so gravely concerned about the situation and how this evacuation was proceeding. we know that was interrupted because of the threat of these attacks that have now transpired. and it was these 2 americans who we should point out. congress members who are veterans of the us military, who push for joe biden to extend the august 31st deadline. the u. s. president was holding firm on the august 31st deadline because he said with each additional day, the troops are there. there is additional risk. now we know that there have been casualties of some americans. we don't have those details

my colleague alicia menendez picks up our news coverage now. taylor, wow. i blew that one. >> i'm alicia menendez. welcome to "american voices." at this hour, we're closely watching the senate floor. a group of bipartisan senators working through the weekend to agree on a $1 trillion infrastructure bill. the latest from senate majority leader chuck schumer is that the bill's release is imminent. so any moment, we could get it, and we will bring it to you. but as we wait, some other big news to report from capitol hill this hour. backlash against the house minority leader for saying this last night. >> i'll make this one prophecy, if we win the majority, which i don't know we're going to, you're all invited. i want you to watch nancy pelosi hand me

i'm alicia menendez. >>> dr.prove the vaccine by the end of the month. >> i hope, i hope -- i don't predict, but i hope it will be within the next few weeks. i hope it's within the month of august. >> okay. >> if that's the case, you're going to see the empowerment of local enterprises giving mandates. that could be colleges, universities, places of business, a whole variety, and i strongly support that. the time has come as we've got to go the extra step to get people vaccinated. >> meanwhile the fda is working to authorize extra doses of the covid vaccine for those with weakened immune systems as cases surge nationwide. "the new york times" reports people with impaired immune systems such as cancer patients would be able to get an extra dose legally as opposed to those trying to get the extra shot on their own. it's forcing the teachers union to reconsider mandating vaccines. >> i think that on a personal matter, as a matter of personal conscience, i think we need to be working with our employers, not opposing

bob menendez vowing to hold the initiation accountable.e republicans are demanding more drastic action and want to remove president biden from office. through resignation, the 25th amendment, or impeachment. >> it is bipartisan. the frustration with this administration with this department of state, the dod leadership team. >> they will be a day of reckoning. >> make sure the withdrawal from afghanistan is an ongoing issue for the biden administration, the chairman of several democrat lead committees are calling for investigations. top house republicans are promising vigorous investigations. we are keeping an eye out for reaction lawmakers just nights drone strike. we'll keep you updated as we learn more about it. leader mccarthy says everyone's focus should be on getting americans home safely. there will be plenty of time for everything else down the road. >> kevin: garrett tenney, thank you. let's talk about afghanistan. foreign policy experts david to 40. former state farm and official and former policy advisor for the obama campaign. c

i'm alicia menendez, u.s. nation's capital of kabul. president biden today authorizing a total of 5,000 troops to help evacuate u.s. embassy workers. defense officials at the pentagon tell nbc news that 1,000 of those troops are already in afghanistan. nbc news spoke to a taliban spokesperson, who says the militant group is aware of u.s. presence but would only act against troops if provoked. still another taliban commander says he expects to quote conquer and free kabul very quickly. the taliban defense has been swift. they have captured more than half the regional capitals in just a week, including the last

estadounidenses y afganos vulnerables que buscan salir del paÍs, declarÓ el senador demÓcrata robert menÉndezn afuera del lugar. >> biden no va a considerar la salida de afganistÁn, para Él es importante demostrar a los estadounidenses y al mundo que es el presidente, el comandante en jefe que decidiÓ salir, y va a concluir esta fase. pablo: los expertos dicen que el pentÁgono no descarta tomar acciones dependiendo de lo que suceda. >> quizÁs debemos mandar tropas para agrandar el cÍrculo para evacuar el aeropuerto o volver a tomar la posesiÓn del aeropuerto de bagham. pablo: hay preocupaciÓn porque los terroristas puedan derribar aviones. misiles como estos se utilizaron durante la invasiÓn a afganistÁn por parte de moscÚ en la dÉcada de los 80'. >> es para hacerle la salida a los estados unidos mÁs complicada y lograr una meta es que con los ataques puedan... pablo: la situaciÓn es imprevisible. jorge. pablo, cuÁl es la Última informaciÓn oficial sobre el nÚmero de evacuados? pablo: el jefe militar de las operaciones en el aeropuerto de kabul dijo que hay 5000 refugiados esperando ser evacu

i'm alicea menendez. today is the 58th anniversary of the historic march on washington.r that moment in history. and to stand against many of the same inequities that exist some six decades later. chief among them, the gop's sustained attacks on veegt rights, which are made possible by state legislatures controlled by the gop, like in texas, where one of the most restrictive voting rights bills in american history was advanced yesterday at the statehouse. that's why democrats were out demanding action on federal hill, to make intimidation tactics like that bill in texas, null and avoid. >> 90 pages long and full of nothing, but ways to keep poor people from voting, to keep black and brown people from voting, to keep disable people from voting. if you fall into any of those categories, you need to be out he

i'm alicia menendez on this tuesday, august 10th. we'll start the news.begin with the latest on coronavirus as the delta variant causes infections to surge across the u.s. the u.s. case count now exceeds 36 million since the start of the pandemic. for the first time since february t country is averaging more than 10,000 new cases a day fueled largely by infections in areas with low vaccination rates. in some parts of the country, hospitals are nearing capacity with available icu beds available in the single digits. worse, in some instances, patients are being turned away. nbc's news correspondent morgan chesky has more. >> reporter: as the delta variant wreaks havoc nationwide, covid is on the rise in every state. the virus causing the highest number of u.s. cases since february, hitting the south where vaccination remains low is especially hard. in austin, texas, home to nearly a million people, only six icu beds remain open, residents getting this robocall over the weekend. >> the covid-19 situation in austin is dire. >> reporter: the attorney's top doc

hello, i'm alicia menendez. two pieces of breaking news as we come on air.ion,

i'm alicia menendez. this saturday, major news on multiple fronts. a the anniversary of a monumental march on washington. >>> plus president biden promised america was coming and the military has delivered retaliation against isis-k. the commander in chief says the terror group can expect more. >>> high alert along the gulf coast. hurricane ida is churning along louisiana, expected to slam ashore tomorrow. it adds insult to injury for hospitals across the coast already at a breaking point with covid patients. this is "american voices." >>> lots of news today. we'll begin this hour with the fight for voting rights. today thousands marched through the streets of d.c. and other american cities like phoenix, miami, and atlanta. the protesters united against the gop's sustained attacks on voting rights made possible by state legislatures and gop control. today the new president of the afl-cio, the largest federation of unions in the united states, spoke to nbc news on the sidelines of a rally in phoenix. >> we are concerned about what we're seeing in term

i'm alecia menendez.ricans and their families in taliban held afghanistan. there are more than 80,000 afghans already waiting in a live and death situations. waiting to come to the u.s. the process is a refugee program gutted from the previous administration. this final year in office trump had the refugee ceiling at 50,000 down from the 100,000 refugees allowed per year under president obama. that drastic reduction saw the many reis thelement organizations shut down due to lack of work. the trump administration also deliberately obstructed visa processing from allies in afghanistan. according to olivia troy, counter terrorism adviser to mike pence tweeting,

de espera >>> wuhan ser un impulso para deportes de cañaveral y al economía local >>> para juan menéndezral lo veía la salida de un barco así lo asegura el capitán >>> 80 por ciento de los ingredientes vienen en industria de los cruceros y con la salida de mandy por lo -4000 invitados abordo esta industria espera por un panorama prometedor tan prometedor como su montaña rusa >>> vamos a la pausa, al regresar dos jóvenes pánico y fonemas buscan sacar la cara por sus respectivos países estos juegos olímpicos les cuento más al volver (música). >>> poco más de una semana después de retirarse de la final femenina por equipo simone biles competirá mañana martes en la final de día de equilibrio aparato que se narra el panorama femenino abandona el martes la final de por equipo tras hacer solo un ejercicio jornada a jornada ido renunciando a los demás, biles logró la medalla de bronce en la barra de equilibrio en los juegos olímpicos lo estaremos viendo mañana estamos hablando de méxico y puerto rico es un orgullo para mí >>> ella es la receptora del equipo de soporte de méxico los juegos olímpi

i'm alicia menendez, u.s. forces are now arriving in afghanistan as the taliban continues to advance on the nation's capital of kabul. president biden today authorizing a total of 5,000 troops to help evacuate u.s. embassy workers. defense officials at the pentagon tell nbc news that 1,000 of those troops are already in afghanistan. nbc news spoke to a taliban spokesperson, who says the militant group is aware of u.s. presence but would only act against troops if provoked. still another taliban commander says he expects to quote conquer and free kabul very quickly. the taliban defense has been swift. they have captured more than half the regional capitals in just a week, including the last northern strong province which fell today. this shows the group's flag being raised in the second largest city of kandahar, which the taliban captured yesterday. afghan president addressed his country today, and said he's focused on preventing further instability, and promised not to give up achievements of the last 20 years

hello, i'm alicia menendez. two pieces of breaking news as we come on air. the senate working to improve america. the chamber back at it this evening working through another sunday session, nearing the end of the road on a bipartisan infrastructure deal. majority leader chuck schumer with a progress report. >> i repeat, that democrats are ready and willing to vote on additional amendments to the bill before moving to final passage. once again, that will require the cooperation of our republican colleagues. i hope they will cooperate so we could move for quickly. other wise we'll proceed by the book. >> next, comes a vote expected within the next hour or so on an amendment to finalize the bill's language. if that happens on our watch, we will let you know. and the other big story this sunday. new testimony by trump's former acting a.g. revealing previously unknown efforts to subvert the 2020 election. "the new york times" first report that jeffrey rosen had a two hour meeting friday with the justice department's office of the inspector general. and then satur

the senate side want to have a full accounting according to bob menendez, the democrat. they want to hear from the secretary of defense and the secretary of state tony blinken. on the house side they've been saying effectively that this is disappointing and concerning. there's a lot of tough language being directed this way and also new information as it relates to our reporting over the last several hours. the cia having intelligence assessments and dated back to the last several weeks about the potential for a very quick taliban takeover. we are now getting the first administration acknowledgement that they had received assessments to that effect and i'll put that up on the screen for you to read along. from the senior u.s. intelligence official we identify the risk of the collapse of the afghan government and we grew more pessimistic of the survival as the season progressed. this was less an issue of afghan military capabilities and more a reflection of afghan leadership, cohesion and willpower. that said, the afghan government unraveled even more quickly than we anti

my colleague alicia menendez picks it up. >>> hello, i'm alicia menendez. we begin with breaking news on capitol hill. a key part of president joe biden's build back better initiative close to crossing the finish line. right now the senate is spending a second weekend hammering out final touches on a bipartisan infrastructure deal. today the senate voted 67-27 to invoke cloture which essentially ends debate on the massive bill and paves the way for final consideration. but the timing of a final vote remains up in the air. here's senate majority leader chuck schumer earlier today. >> we can get this done the easy way or the hard way. it's in either case the senate will stay in session until we finish our work. it's up to my republican colleagues how long it takes. >> vice president kamala harris was seen on capitol hill today talking to senators about voting rights and support for that infrastructure bill. so what is at stake for the american people in much need of infrastructure investment? the bill includes $550 billion in spending for bridges, roads, publ

you mentioned senator menendez.l and the concerns that came up, particularly i'm curious about isis-k and another potential attack at the airport after this drone strike over the weekend. >> that's right. that was a major focus of the briefing call on friday with senior officials. it was not the principals whoa briefed senators, meaning the secretaries, but it was top state and defense department officials who tried to, number one, reassure senators that the u.s. was taking these threats seriously and was trying to protect u.s. forces at the airport and make sure we don't have any more casualties like we did last week. and, you know, secondly, to ensure senators that they will try to get as many americans out as possible before tomorrow's deadline of august 31st. at the same time, they're kind of preparing lawmakers for the reality that it will not be possible to get every single american out by tomorrow, which is why they're kind of shifting their messages right now and saying, look, we're going to use every means

reliance on the taliban for security at the airport top democrat senator bob menendez said we can't trust the taliban with american security and republicans are blasting the president for sticking with the strategy they say has failed >> i think pretending like this could be a success, like this plan could be salvaged, but that's impossible at this point. >> reporter: tonight, the president making this vow >> to those who carried out this attack, as well as anyone that wishes america harm, know this, we will not forgive. we will not forget we will hunt you down and make you pay >> so peter, was the president hinting at or explicitly saying there would be a retaliatory strike against isis? >> reporter: lester, president biden said u.s. intelligence may have already identified those who organized today's attack and he has asked the pentagon for strike options he warns isis-k could try to disrupt the evacuations again. >> peter alexander at the white house, thank you. >>> just hours before today's explosions, there were warnings about security threats at the kabul airport, and that threat co

the moment you can see both parties, this is not just republicans that want accountability senator menendez new jersey ahead of the foreign relations committee has been one of the most prolific voices on the past two weeks trying to hold this administration accountable for what has happened. i think you will see bipartisan consensus when you see american lives lost to get to the bottom of what the world happened. we were promised from president biden months ago that this is going to be an orderly indent the war that this would not be chaotic, that was his words that it wasn't going to be chaos and saigon, where he promised the american people has instead been the exact opposite in action. james: what about that can you give us a read were looking at terrible approval ratings for the president especially on this issue, nancy pelosi with that the majority in the house do you see democrats in the house saying this has to be addressed and we need to maintain some presence to go beyond the deadline at least to make sure we get our people out and to respond as the president promised for that thur

yamiche: the senate foreign relations committee chairman bob menendez released a statement saying "i am disappointed that the prition clearly did not accurately assess the implications of a rapid u.s. withdrawal." she'll, how expected is -- sahil, how expected is the g.o.p. response to this and how concerned are democrats about the political fallout? sahil: the g.o.p. response was expected. the white house was caught off guard by how forceful some of the democrats were, including gregory meeks who promised an investigation. as far as mccarthy's comments, there is -- there's a bifurcated dynamic where in the short term, they smell blood in the water politically. they sense this is a moment of possible weakness for president biden and they want to use that to weaken the president politically but then there's the more complicated question of what mccarthy and his allies would do instead and that's where we saw him tripped up friday when he was asked questions about, for instance, the troop presence. does he want a longer, more permanent troop presence? he didn't have a clear issue. the

and we now have a situation where a senator bob menendez, representing the u. s. foreign relations committee of the senate. he's coming forward with this statement. the events of recent days have been the combination of a series of mistakes made by republican and democratic administrations over the past 20 years, including the trumpet, ministrations floored negotiations with the taliban, and the biden administration's flawed execution of the u. s. withdraw. the committee will seek a full accounting for these shortcomings. now, republicans are being far less forgiving. they say that jo biden's decision to rapidly pull out of afghanistan is harming the united states, discrediting the country, hurting relations with allies. there's been a fire storm of anger from the republican side of the aisle this biden administration. so they plan for every scenario. they told us to day prior that coble cobble was not eminent. he told us less than a month before that this would never happen yesterday. president biden would accept responsibility and explain how he would fix the

reporter: in oakland, leanne menendez, abc 7 news. ama: more proof. dan: that is inspiring.s tonight is next. we appreciate your time. ama: for all of us here, thank you for joining us. we will see you again at 6:00. boost and cricket charge you more for unlimited 5g. metro doesn't. introducing the big 5g upgrade. just twenty-five bucks a month gets you unlimited 5g and a free 5g smartphone. that's half the price... ...for one line of unlimited 5g smartphone data ...plus a free samsung galaxy 5g when you switch and trade-in. all with the power of the t-mobile 5g network. rule your day with 5g. only at metro by t-mobile. homelessness, housing, taxes, water, electricity, crime, wildfires. [sfx: bear roar] gavin, you've failed. we have to immediately cut taxes twenty-five percent. fix housing and homelessness. and make life in california affordable again. i'm a businessman, the only cpa running. shouldn't we choose ability this time? do you think john cox will be a better governor than gavin newsom? [sfx: bear roar] does a bear sh*t in the woods? welcome to the place where the

i think chairman menendez made this point during the question we had in her classified briefing.deputy secretary sherman, i was glad to see you saying you're prepared testimony today that the administration supports not only repealing the iraq authorization but also replacing them as needed with clear, narrow, and specific -- to continue protecting her people and her interest. i believe updated congressional authorities are needed because state sponsors of terrorism are continuing to escalate attacks on americans in the middle east. the executive branch will only be in a stronger position if congress authorizes it to defend americans in harm's way. that's why i've authored legislative leg was that would do three things. first it would reveal the 1991 and 2002 authorizations for use of military force. second it would authorize the president to defend our national security interest against continuing threats that are posed by terrorist and state sponsors of terrorist operating in a rack. third, it would authorize a president to prevent and respond to attacks against americans by te